NCCSSA’s hosts its annual “Poker Run for Teens” from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 29 at New River Harley-Davidson. Registration $20 day of event. For more information call 910-219-1886.

OCEAN - Join local birding expert Joanne Powell and the N.C. Coastal Federation Oct. 27 and Nov. 10 for a birding cruise on the White Oak River in Swansboro.

The group will slowly cruise on a covered ferry boat through the estuaries in and around the White Oak River and Bogue Sound, including Bear Island, looking for resident birds and fall migrants that might include warblers, raptors and waterfowl. Federation staff will also be on the cruise to answer questions about water quality, habitat and restoration projects. Birds are most common in and around our coastal estuaries, looking for food, water and shelter.

Participants will meet at Hammocks Beach State Park in Swansboro and are asked to bring their own binoculars, water and a snack and to dress appropriately for the weather. The program fee is $20 a person. All ages are welcome, though the program is geared toward adults and older children. Registration is required, and the cruises are likely to fill up fast.

Call 252-393-8185 or nccoast.org.

WILMINGTON

The Battleship North Carolina’s Living History Crew will present Battleship Alive on Sept. 28 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The event will allow visitors to see what daily life aboard the ship as it was during World War II.

Admission is $12 for visitors between the ages of 12 and 64, $10 for senior citizens, $10 for active military members and $6 for children 6-11. Admission is free for children 5 and under or Friends of the Battleship members. For more information, log on to battleshipnc.com.

JACKSONVILLE

The annual Holiday Craft Fair and Car Art Show will be held at the American Legion Building on 146 Broadhurst Rd on Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. The event will include a scavenger hunt and a visit from Santa. For more information, call 910-938-7077.

JACKSONVILLE

The 7th Annual Farmer’s Market Top Vocalist contest will be held Sept. 14 between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on 4024 Richlands Hwy. This contest is for amateur singers at or over the age of 16. The winner will receive $300. Second Place will earn $200 and third place will earn $100.

A $25 (cash only) pre-registration fee is required. A $20 early registration fee will be available for contestants that register by 5 p.m. on Wednesday Sept. 11.

To register, contact Jennifer Rich at 910-455-5873.

JACKSONVILLE

The annual New River Palooza will take place between Sept. 20 and Sept. 21 at the Riverwalk Crossing Park. The event will include music, food and activities including canoe and kayak tours. For more information, call 910-937-0877, 910-937-7222 or log on to riverwalkpalooza.com.

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BEAUFORT

Carteret County Parks and Recreation Department presents a Daddy and Daughter Dance “Boutonnieres & Bows” ball from 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 20. Fort Benjamin Recreation Center will host this semi-formal optional event. Cost $15 per family by Sept. 12 or $30 per family at door. For more information, call 252-222-5858 or ccparksrec.com.

HUBERT

Onslow County Parks and Recreation will host Art In The Park at 3 p.m. on Sept. 14 at Hubert Bypass Park.

The event will feature vendors, inflatables, The Buzzrocket Band and a showing of Wreck It Ralph at sunset.

For more information, call 910-347-5332 or visit www.onslowcountync.gov/parks.

JACKSONVILLE

A new festival slated for October is seeking vendors.

The Latin Festival is scheduled for Oct. 5 from noon to 8 p.m. at Riverwalk Park in downtown Jacksonville.

The festival is seeking food, arts and crafts, plants, electronics, clothing, fruits and vegetables, nonprofit and other vendors, according to information about the festival.

Fees are $175 for food vendors and $100 for other types of vendors. There is not a fee for nonprofit vendors.

For more information, or applications, visit http://oclatinfestival.org.

BOGUE BANKS

Registration is under way for this year’s Cycling for the Coast bike ride benefiting the N.C. Coastal Federation.

The ride will take place Sept. 21 along Bogue Banks and will include 20K, 40K, and 80K options.

The goal of the event is to raise awareness of North Carolina’s coastal estuaries and ocean beaches and to raise money for the federation’s coastal habitat restoration and protection projects in the central region.

Coastal Federation members can pre-register for $35 and non-members can register for $50, which includes a federation membership. Both fees include a Cycling for the Coast t-shirt.

Register online at nccoast.org.

Music & Culture

JACKSONVILLE - The Onslow Winds Community Band will hold its first performance of the 2013-2014 concert season at 3 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Jacksonville High School Auditorium.

Our program of popular music includes selections from a variety of music genres. The Onslow Winds features talented musicians from Onslow and other surrounding counties. Membership includes students from local middle and high school, Coastal Carolina Community College and UNCW; area educators; current military members; and other working and retired persons from many surrounding communities.

This concert is free to the public.

KINSTON – Eastern North Carolina Bluegrass Association presents its monthly concert at 7 p.m. Sept. 14 at Lenoir Community College auditorium. The bands featured this month will be Mac and Tammy McRoy Band, Highway 58 and open mic. Admission $7 at door with children 12 and under free. Doors open at 6 p.m. For more information call 252-244-0712.

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WILMINGTON

Opening night of the Wilmington Symphony’s 43rd season begins at 8 p.m. Sept. 21 in Kenan Auditorium. The curtain rises with jubilant brass from Hector Berlioz’ brilliant Le Corsaire Overture. Wilmington soprano Nancy King highlights the sublime elegances of Richard Strauss’s autumnal Four Last Songs, and from one of the most famous scores in the classical repertoire, the audience is treated to a sumptuous selection of Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty.

Conductor, Steven Errante says, “Tchaikovsky’s music for Sleeping Beauty is magical - full of memorable tunes, heart-on-the-sleeve emotions, and brilliant orchestration. And hearing Nancy King sing Richard Strauss’s serenely autumnal Four Last Songs is not to be missed.”

Tickets, order in advance by calling the Kenan Auditorium Ticket Office at 910-962-3500, or online at wilmingtonsymphony.org/tickets.html. Single tickets are $27, $25 and $6 for youth and are available by contacting the Kenan Auditorium Ticket Office at 800-732-3643

Theater & Arts

JACKSONVILLE

The Legacy Theater Company of Jacksonville will host Whose Line Is It Anyway? on Sept. 14, at 7:30 p.m. The event is an improvisational sketch the promises “non-stop laughs” for the duration of the show.

Adult VIP tickets cost $18 while general admission is $15. Children 12 and under cost $10.

For more information, call 910-545-2296 or visit www.legacytheatercompany.com.

SNEADS FERRY

Sneads Ferry Community Theatre presents “Seniors of the Sahara,” Barbara Pease Weber’s magical romantic comedy for seniors and “juniors” of all ages. Show dates are Sept. 20-22 and Sept. 27-29. Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays curtain time is 8 p.m. and Sunday matinées begin at 3 p.m.

Sylvia Goldberg, played by Tania Gonzalez, is a respectable retired New Jersey schoolteacher who brings home more than just souvenirs upon returning from her grandson’s wedding in Israel. Keeping a geriatric genie “Eugene” (John Pratt) with a bad back and a penchant for vodka and V8 a secret from her three best friends Mabel, Thelma and Fannie and a visiting relative (Andrea Horan, Jennifer Meier, Sonya Kennedy, and Bob Gribble), proves to be nearly as difficult as protecting herself from Eugene’s former master played by SFCT veteran, Tom Brady. Be careful what you wish for Sylvie Goldberg. You never know, it might come true.

Tickets: adult $10; students (any age with ID) $5 sold day of show at the door.

Reservations for parties of 10 or more please call the box office: 910-327-2798. Theatre is located inside the Sneads Ferry Community Center at 126 Park Lane. For information , call Sneadsferrycommunitytheatre.com.

Page 4 of 5 - MOREHEAD CITY — The Taylor Michaels Show at “Bistro By The Sea” in Morehead City will be held Sept. 21.

The retro, Las Vegas style show includes music, magic and comedy in a Las Vegas style showroom atmosphere. Taylor takes his audiences on a time traveler’s journey through the decades as he salutes the music of legendary performers. Swing with Bobby Darin and Frank Sinatra. Walk the streets of Broadway with the Beatles and the Phantom. Return to the glamour of Las Vegas and the heart of Nashville as Taylor performs his favorite music.

Reservations are required to this event, and will include dinner and the show. To make reservations, call “Bistro By The Sea” at 252- 247-2777.

The cycling fundraiser event is great for all ages and biking levels, offering 20K, 40K and 80K options. The ride will begin and end at Fort Macon State Park, at the eastern tip of Bogue Banks in Atlantic Beach. Following the ride, there will be an after-party hosted by Natty Greene’s Brewing Co. and McCurdy’s Restaurant beginning at 11 a.m. Registration fee for federation members is $35 single and $65 for families; non-members is $50 single and $80 for families (includes membership).

All registered cyclists receive two complimentary Natty Greene’s beer tickets (for those over 21 years old) and a meal at the McCurdy’s after-party. Volunteers are also needed for this event, contact Sarah Phillips at sarahp@nccoast.org to volunteer.

EMERALD ISLE

Emerald Isle Parks and Recreation offers a walking club every Tuesday through Oct. 23 at the community center. Registration is free. Points are collected throughout each walk. Prizes will be awarded to those with the most points. One mile = one point; bonus points are also available. Come join the competition and earn those points! For more information contact Lainey Gottuso at 252-354-6350 or lgottuso@emeraldisle-nc.org.

SWANSBORO

The 14th annual Great Mullet Run, sponsored by the Swansboro Rotary Club will be held Nov. 9 in Swansboro. The event also includes a one-mile walk/run. Both races will begin and end at the Hammock Beach State Park Visitors Center. The 5K course is USATF certified. The mile run is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K starts at 9:30 a.m.

The race is dedicated to the memory of Lee Cooper of Peletier, who died in February, 2007. Cooper, who was a retired U.S. Marine and an avid runner with more than 100 marathons to his credit, was a long-time supporter of the Mullet Run.

Race participants can register online at Active.com. Late registrations will take place on Nov. 8 at the Rotary Civic Center in Swansboro, 4-6 p.m. Race-day registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. at Hammocks Beach State Park. Runners who are pre-registered can pick up their numbers at either location.

Page 5 of 5 - The entry fee is $15. T-shirts, while they are available, are $15. This race includes a family entry. A family of four (parents and children) can enter either the 5K or the one-mile for $40. Each additional family member can register for $10.

Winners will be named in eight age categories, including 15 and under, 16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70 and over, in the 5K.

Trophies will be given to the top three finishers overall, and for the top three finishers in each age category. For more information, call Charles Teachey at (252) 393-2301.

NEW BERN

New Bern Parks and Recreation is holding at 5K race Oct. 13 at 7:30 a.m. to celebrate Mumfest 2013. The race will start and finish at Union Point Park, coursing through Downtown New Bern.

Pre-registration is $25 and day of registration is $30. Registration forms can be found at active.com. For more information, contact Trevor Freitas at 252-639-2907 or e-mail him freitast@newbern-nc.org.

Camps&Classes

JACKSONVILLE

Legacy Theater Company is hosting a film school for students ages 11-18 at their location on 2442 Onslow Dr. from Sept. 23 to Nov. 25. The camp costs $250 per student ($230 for students of active-duty military members) and is accepting 15 students. Registration is due on Wednesday, Sept. 11.

To register or find out more information, call 910-545-2296 or log on to legacytheatercompany.com/sof.